Confined since March 27, the Irish are actively preparing for a gradual easing of lockdown measures beginning May 18, 2020. This date is especially anticipated since the government initially planned to lift restrictions on May 5, a date that was later postponed.
I know many of you want to know when things will return to normal and life will resume. We are working towards that moment and planning carefully to get there safely. (Leo Varadkar – April 10, 2020)
Looking Back at the Events…
Ireland Exposed to Coronavirus, Yet United
- On March 27, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 and asked citizens to stay at home. Some exceptions were allowed for people under 70 to shop for essentials, exercise briefly, or go to work if their job was deemed essential.
- On April 10, a new address thanked the Irish people and informed them that the measures introduced at the end of March would be extended until May 5.
- On May 1, a relaxation of measures was announced starting May 5:
- the allowed distance for exercise increased from 2 to 5 kilometers
- the strict isolation or “cocooning” of elderly or vulnerable people ended, allowing them to go out within a 5-kilometer radius of their home.
Some measures remain in place:
- schools will stay closed until next September.
- all public and private gatherings outside a single household remain prohibited, regardless of the number of people involved.
The government then set May 18, 2020, as the date to begin exiting the crisis. However, the challenges are many, and the Irish must remain cautious.
Towards a Gradual and Measured Easing of Restrictions
The Irish Government Takes Multiple Precautions to Avoid a Second Wave
The lifting of restrictions in Ireland will be extremely gradual. The economic restart plan announced by the Irish government from May 18 is organized into five phases of three weeks each, running until August 10 (with the possibility of reversing measures if the epidemic resurges). The first phase of easing includes:
- the reopening of certain shops, including DIY stores;
- the resumption of outdoor work, such as construction sites;
- the resumption of sports activities and outdoor gatherings for family meetings and small groups.
Other businesses, childcare centers, restaurants, and bars will reopen later and progressively. Not everything is finalized yet, and some decisions are still under negotiation (notably the reopening of Irish pubs, initially planned for August 10, which is causing significant tensions across the country).
However, wearing masks will be strongly recommended.
As for tourism, it remains difficult at this time to know when the country will reopen its doors to travelers.
Persistent Differences Between North and South
The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: Two Territories with Different Strategies
The easing process could be complicated due to the differing preventive measures applied between the south and north of the island.
In the Republic of Ireland, authorities continue to increase testing capacity, while in Northern Ireland, tests are reserved for hospitalized patients and quarantine periods are shorter.
The permitted range for leaving home also varies: only residents of the Republic must restrict themselves to a 2-kilometer radius.
Both sides of the border are aware of the need to align their strategies and agree on restrictions to create a unified map of contamination cases and clusters, preparing jointly to face a possible second wave.
In this regard, an encouraging preliminary agreement was signed last April.
